Teenager hit stranger as he walked past

A teenager who punched a stranger has been given six months to complete 120 hours unpaid work for assault.

Kia Campbell and his girlfriend were walking along Grahams Road heading for Falkirk Town Centre in the early hours of July 2 when Charles McKean approached them.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that as they passed McKean made a ‘comment’ and when Mr Campbell asked him why, a man with McKean knocked him to the ground.

When he got back in his feet, McKean punched him in the head before walking away.

The 18-year-old bully went back and apologised, but when Mr Campbell saw police on patrol soon after he reported the incident to them and Mckean was traced and arrested.

The court heard McKean, from Flat 5/68 Cow Wynd, Falkirk, has convictions dating back to June 2015 for assaulting his girlfriend, breaching bail conditions by contacting her just days later, assaulting a 16-year-old in the Central Retail Park, Falkirk, last March, and repeatedly breaching bail conditions.

When he hit Mr Campbell on July 2 he was already subject to a supervised community payback order and unpaid work and facing deferred sentences for other matters.

His lawyer claimed McKean is making “better progress” with that than latest reports suggest.

He said: “His behaviour at meetings with social workers has been better.”

With regards to the assault in the summer, he said: “He knows he should not have got involved, but he threw only one punch. He is looking to get help for his drug and alcohol abuse.”

Sheriff John Mundy told McKean: “The question is, how many chances is the court prepared to give you at the end of the day?”

The sheriff called for progress with McKean’s current order to be reviewed on October 20 and said by that time he expected all the outstanding hours to have been completed.

He also imposed a second order which will mean he has to complete another 120 hours in six months.

Sheriff Mundy warned him: “If you show willing and a change of attitude a custodial sentence might be avoided.”